RUSTING IN THE RAINThere

RUSTING IN THE RAIN

There are a few funny thoughts that are expressed here in Oregon when the rain is coming down like it is today. One of those is that Oregonians don't tan, they rust. Another is that we grow webs between our toes. I feel like I'm both rusting and growing webs. ;-)

Fortunately, I was able to get my car washed this morning and into the garage before the rain started to come down. This meant I was also able to keep from bringing my groceries into the house before I got soaked.

My groceries cost me over $60.00, and I didn't get all that much. The high gas prices are trickling down to just about every aspect of our economy. But I don't want to say too much about that subject, because it's one that really irritates me. I'll just say that when my Aunt Joan starts talking about how she and Uncle Bob may fit a trailer to one of their bicycles to use it to go get groceries in Twin Falls if the gas prices become too unaffordable, I get angry, because these are elderly people. Aunt Joan seems young for her age but Uncle Bob has had cancer and is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. I wonder if the oil company producers and executives realize how much hardship they are causing!

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I especially love the Ziggies today, as they fit my wacky sense of humor. The man who draws the Ziggy cartoons (and I can't quite read his name at the bottom) is masterful at coming up with fresh, funny ideas. I think I would be well-spooked by a talking toilet, though. As for tire balancing, I have just passed the 6,000 mile mark in my car, and my tires will get rotated (I assume that's the same as balancing them) when I take it in for its 8,000 mile service at the local dealership's fast lube department. (The "fast lube" title is somewhat of a misnomer, because there can sometimes be quite a wait for service there.)

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The big news right now is Scott McClellan's tell-all book about the Bush administration, and how we shouldn't be in Iraq. Do tell. This is especially being brought out on CNN today. It's kind of nice to have a distraction from the infernal, eternal electioneering but I wonder if Scott McClellan's book will actually say anything that many of us didn't already suspect. At this point, I don't intend to buy it.

TRYING TO AVOID GLOOM AND

TRYING TO AVOID GLOOM AND DOOM

It seems that everywhere I turn, I am seeing or hearing stories and predictions of gloom and doom. Yesterday's newspaper pronounced that we are definitely going to experience a 9.0 earthquake off the Oregon coast and accompanying tidal wave. The blurbs running across the bottom of the screen on CNN uniformly tell of tremendous losses by almost every corporation that they mention. It's gotten so that I almost don't want to even look at the newspaper or watch CNN, if that is a way to avoid these gloomy pieces of news.

I learned from my bookkeeper and nephew, Nick, yesterday that the cost of gas and propane is hitting us hard at my business. We aren't without resources at the present time, particularly my personal ones, so I am confident we will get through this rough patch. We also have our relatively-new salesman, David, who is taking his work very seriously and who Nick feels is a great asset to the business. So I have faith that the economic woes I hear people bemoaning may be gotten through, if we take one step at a time and are careful with our money.

There's not much I can do in regards to the coastal earthquake and tsunami prediction, except pray that it doesn't happen for a long time, if at all. And hope I'm not out at the coast when one hits.

Speaking of my coastal trips, I certainly enjoyed my last one and I often make reservations for the next trip (this one to be in October) after I get back from the most recent one, but I am holding off somewhat due to gas prices. Perhaps I should think positive on this, too, and make reservations anyway as they can most likely be canceled if it doesn't look like a good time to make the trip as that time in October gets near. At the moment, I'm not sure where I would like to stay. Maybe planning that out and making reservations would be a good positive pastime at some point this weekend. (I'm leaning toward "The Landing" in Newport, which is a condo with rental rooms where I have stayed before, or else "Overleaf Lodge" in Yachats, another nice place I've stayed in the past.)

I do plan to stock up a bit more on canned food at Costco next week, just as a precaution. It won't hurt to have extra soups and tuna on hand; besides, the Postal Service canned food drive is coming up May 10th and I want to have fresh canned food to donate.

I also pray quite a bit, for our country and the world, when I think about the predictions of doom that I am hearing. I hope other people are, too. I believe there is a lot of power in prayer, especially when a good many folks are doing so.

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Amazon was faster that I expected yesterday, in delivering the books and the car vac I had ordered with my gift certificate from J.D. and Kris. I should have no excuse for not having a clean car now. LOL!

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The first Ziggy above is funny, but at the same time it kind of boggles the mind. LOL! Thanks again, Lynne, for sending those along!